Austin News >> UT Longhorns Loses to K-State

11/12/2006 MANHATTAN, Kan. – Just as the BCS gates appeared to be opening for No. 4 Texas – with Louisville, Auburn and California all losing and Florida nearly doing the same – they slammed shut on the Longhorns in a purple haze at Kansas State on Saturday night.

Texas (9-2, 6-1 Big 12) can still clinch the Big 12 South title with a victory against Texas A&M on Nov. 24 or with an Oklahoma loss at Oklahoma State.

But any chance of the Longhorns defending their national title disappeared in a 45-42 upset marred by a first-quarter injury to star redshirt freshman quarterback Colt McCoy.

Trainers X-rayed McCoy's shoulder and collarbone after the injury on a 1-yard scoring sneak that put Texas up, 7-0. But school officials declined to discuss the injury or its severity.

The Longhorns saw a 21-game Big 12 winning streak and a run of 17 straight wins in opposing teams' stadiums snapped. K-State fans rushed the field after the game as the Wildcats (7-4, 4-3) claimed their biggest win since knocking off No. 1 Oklahoma in the 2003 Big 12 title game.

It was McCoy who helped lead comebacks this season against Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas Tech. Backup Jevan Snead nearly pulled off a 21-point comeback in McCoy's absence. But after running back Chris Ogbannaya scored on a 1-yard run, cutting K-State's lead to 45-42 with 1:36 left, the Wildcats recovered Texas' attempt at an onside kick.

While Snead struggled to hit receivers, finishing 13-of-30 for 190 yards and one touchdown, he didn't get much help from a defense that gave up big play after big play, or from leaky special teams.

Texas gave up a 52-yard punt return that set up a touchdown, giving K-State a 21-14 lead in the second quarter. Texas also suffered a critical blocked punt with 5:46 left in the third quarter.

The Wildcats converted that block into a 1-yard TD sneak by freshman QB Josh Freeman, putting K-State up, 42-21, with 4:39 left in the third quarter.

Texas answered with a quick scoring drive, capped by an 18-yard TD run by Charles with 3:43 left in the third, cutting K-State's lead to 42-28.

An interception of Freeman by Michael Griffin with 13:09 left, in Kansas State territory, set up Snead's first TD pass since the Sam Houston State game on Sept. 30. Snead hit WR Limas Sweed for a 33-yard score and silenced a frenzied, purple-clad K-State crowd by narrowing the Wildcats' lead to 42-35.

But the Texas defense, which played so well last week against Oklahoma State, gave up big play after big play Saturday night.

When the Longhorns needed a big stop late in the game, they couldn't get one, and K-State was able to drive for a 51-yard field goal by Jeff Snodgrass that put the Wildcats up, 45-35, and proved to be the winning points.

Michael Griffin extended his school record for blocked kicks with his eighth blocked punt, leading to a Texas TD that tied the game, 21-21, with 12:46 left in the third quarter.

But the secondary was picked apart by Freeman, who had TD passes of 36 and 30 yards to Yamon Figurs and a 32-yard pass to James Johnson.

After a fumble by Charles, K-State ran a double pass, then scored on a halfback pass of 18 yards from Leon Patton, of W.T. White, to Cedric Wilson for a 28-21 lead with 7:45 left in the third.

One play after a fumble by Young, K-State went up, 35-21, with 6:53 left in the third on Freeman's 30-yard TD pass to Figurs. That was the second time Figurs burned Texas cornerback Aaron Ross, who dropped an interception in the first half at the K-State 13 that would have been a walk-in touchdown.

Texas gave up 346 yards, 323 of them through the air.

In addition to McCoy, Texas lost its Lombardi Award finalist, offensive lineman Justin Blalock of Plano East, to a knee injury.

(Contributed by Dallas Morning News)